Multiple tube bundle heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A multiple tube bundle heat exchanger includes axially opposite tube plates, a housing, and a plurality of tube bundles disposed between the tube plates. Each of the tube bundles is an independent tube bundle subassembly forming an integral unit having at least one heat exchanger tube with two axial tube ends. The subassembly is made from the exchanger tube and respective tube plates fastened to the two axial tube ends. The housing has a casing part defining a interior and having two axial housing ends with flanges, removable head pieces respectively disposed at the two axial housing ends to be fastened to the flanges, and partitions subdividing the interior into chambers. The number of chambers corresponds to a number of tube bundles. Each of the chambers receives one of the tube bundles. The tube plates and head pieces respectively form seals, and the tube plates delimit distributor, collecting, and/or transfer chambers formed in the head pieces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to a multiple tube bundle heat exchanger. In other words, a heat exchanger configuration that includes a plurality of flow-interconnected heat exchange tube bundles. The flow interconnection may relate either to the medium flowing through the tube bundles or to the medium flowing around the tube bundles, or to both.

[0003] Multiple tube bundle heat exchangers are already in the prior art. For example, Switzerland Patent No. CH 586 882 describes a counter-current tube bundle heat exchanger in the form of an in-series, tube bundle heat exchanger. In that heat exchanger, a common housing has disposed in it a plurality of tube bundles that are flow-connected in series and through which the primary medium flows in succession. All the tube bundles run between two tube plates common to all the tube bundles, and the head chambers above each of the tube plates are subdivided into partial chambers to form an inflow distributor chamber for the primary medium for distribution to the tubes of the first tube bundle, then a series of connecting chambers, disposed above the one tube plate or the other, for connecting respectively the outlet ends of the tube bundle to the inlet ends of an adjacent tube bundle, and, finally, an outlet collecting chamber above the outlet ends of the last tube bundle in the flow series connection. Between the individual tube bundles are disposed, in the housing, partitions that respectively have overflow orifices near one tube plate or the other so that the secondary medium flows into a tube bundle chamber. The medium then passes through the overflow orifices from tube bundle chamber to tube bundle chamber and finally out of the last tube bundle chamber into an outlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a multiple tube bundle heat exchanger that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that provides a configuration making it possible, on a modular basis, to construct economically the most diverse tube bundle heat exchanger configuration that is variable to the greatest possible extent both in terms of size and in terms of the flow configuration or of the routing of the primary medium and secondary medium.

[0005] With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a multiple tube bundle heat exchanger, including axially opposite tube plates, a plurality of tube bundles disposed between the tube plates, each of the tube bundles including an independent tube bundle subassembly forming an integral unit having at least one heat exchanger tube with two axial tube ends, the subassembly made from the at least one heat exchanger tube and respective tube plates fastened to the two axial tube ends, a housing having a casing part defining a interior and having two axial housing ends with flanges, removable head pieces to be fastened to the flanges, the head pieces respectively disposed at the two axial housing ends, and partitions subdividing the interior into a number of chambers, the number of the chambers corresponding to a number of the plurality of tube bundles, each of the chambers receiving one of the tube bundles, the tube plates and the head pieces respectively forming seals, and the tube plates delimiting at least one of distributor chambers, collecting chambers, and transfer chambers formed in the head pieces.

[0006] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the chambers are casing spaces.

[0007] In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the partitions have, at both of the axial housing ends, selectively closeable overflow orifices for overflow of medium flowing through the chambers between adjacent ones of the chambers.

[0008] In accordance with an added feature of the invention, there are provided separate intermediate pieces disposed between the casing part and adjacent ones of the head pieces for prolonging use of the casing part.

[0009] In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the intermediate pieces form an axial prolongation of the partitions.

[0010] In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the intermediate pieces have selective overflow orifices between adjacent ones of the chambers.

[0011] In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, each of the chambers has an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and/or the outlet is disposed at a respective one of the intermediate pieces, and the inlet and/or the outlet is disposed laterally on the respective one of the intermediate pieces, or disposed axially on a respective one of the intermediate pieces and led through a respective one of the head pieces.

[0012] The concept according to the invention provides for using standard heat exchanger tube bundles together with standard housing sub-assemblies that allow a multiplicity of combination possibilities and, of course, also heat exchanger configurations of different size.

[0013] Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0014] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a multiple tube bundle heat exchanger, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

[0015] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a counter-current heat exchanger according to the invention constructed from a multiple configuration of tube bundles and having a parallel flow connection of the tube bundles;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the counter-current heat exchanger of FIG. 1 with a plurality of tube bundles, flow-connected in series;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the counter-current heat exchanger of FIG. 1 with a plurality of tube bundles, flow-connected in parallel, and with an alternative housing configuration; and

[0019]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the counter-current heat exchanger of FIG. 3 with a plurality of tube bundles, flow-connected in series, and with a housing configuration developed in relation to the configuration according to FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In all the figures of the drawing, sub-features and integral parts that correspond to one another bear the same reference symbol in each case.

[0021] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a heat exchanger having a housing and a plurality of tube bundles disposed therein.

[0022] The housing is made of a casing 1, on which are disposed an inlet connection piece 11 and an outlet connection piece 12 respectively introducing and discharging a secondary medium into and out of the casing spaces. On both axial ends of the casing 1 are flanges 13 and two head pieces 2, 3, which are disposed adjacent to the ends of the casing 1 on both sides. The head pieces 2, 3 respectively have an inlet and an outlet connection piece 21, 31 for a primary medium to be conducted through the tube bundles. The head pieces 2, 3 are each assigned a cover plate 22, 32 that can be clamped together with the flanges 13 of the casing 1 by screws or threaded rods 23, 33.

[0023] A plurality of tube bundles 5, specifically, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated, three tube bundles, which are designated 5A, 5B, and 5C, are installed in the housing. Each tube bundle includes a number of parallel heat exchanger tubes 51 disposed at distances from one another and a tube plate 52 is respectively connected to these and located at the two axial ends of the tube bundle.

[0024] Each tube bundle including the heat exchanger tube 51 and the associated tube plates 52 forms a subassembly in the form of an integral unit and is installed as such in the housing. The seals 53 used for sealing off between the casing 1, head pieces 2, 3, and the tube plates 52 are illustrated diagrammatically in the drawing and can easily be recognized as stylized O-ring seals, while, of course, the actual nature of the seals 53 used may be selected in any desired way, as required.

[0025] The housing space within the casing 1 is subdivided by installed partitions 14 into a number of casing spaces 10A, 10B, 10C corresponding to the number of tube bundles 5. The partitions 14 are provided at the top and bottom with passage orifices 15 through which the individual casing spaces 10A, 10B, 10C are connected to one another. The passage orifices can be selectively closed.

[0026] As can be seen, the head chambers, which are formed in the head pieces 2, 3, are not subdivided, but extend over all three tube bundles, so that a parallel flow through the three tube bundles 5A, 5B, 5C takes place. The three tube bundles 5A, 5B, 5C are, therefore, flow-connected in parallel.

[0027]FIG. 2 shows a configuration that, again, includes a housing 1 with three tube bundles 5A, 5B, 5C installed therein. The construction of the housing with a casing 1, head pieces 2, 3, and connection pieces 11, 12, 21, 31 for the media involved in the heat exchange and the subdivision of the casing interior by partitions 14 into three casing spaces 10A, 10B, 10C correspond to the configuration according to FIG. 1.

[0028] The three tube bundles 5A, 5B, 5C in FIG. 2 are constructed in the same way as those in FIG. 1 and, again, respectively include heat exchanger tubes 51 and a tube plate 52 at the two opposite axial ends, each tube bundle 5A, 5B, 5C, again, constituting an integral unit or subassembly made of these parts.

[0029] However, as compared with the configuration according to FIG. 1, in the configuration according to FIG. 2, the head pieces 2, 3 and the partitions 14 in the casing 1 are modified such that, in the configuration in FIG. 2, the three tube bundles are flow-connected in series. Also, the secondary medium flowing in through the connection piece 11 and flowing out through the connection piece 12 is routed, in all three tube bundles, in counter-current to the primary medium that flows in through the connection piece 21 and flows out through the connection piece 31 and that flows in succession through the heat exchanger tubes 51 of the three tube bundles. For such a purpose, the head pieces 2 and 3 are modified such that an inlet chamber 24 is formed above the inlet end of the first tube bundle 5C, as seen in the direction of flow of the primary medium. Also, an overflow chamber 35, 25 is formed respectively in the head pieces 3, 2 for transferring the primary medium between the adjacent ends of two fluidically successive tube bundles (from 5C to 5B through the overflow chamber 35 or from 5B to 5A through the overflow chamber 25), and an outflow chamber 36 is formed above the outflow end of the last tube bundle, as seen in the direction of flow of the primary medium, that is to say 5A. Partitions 27, 37 for appropriately subdividing the head piece space into the corresponding chambers are, therefore, formed in the head pieces 2, 3.

[0030] Only one overflow orifice 15 is provided in each of the partitions 14 and is located near the respective tube plates so that a secondary medium must in each case flow, in countercurrent to the medium flowing through the tube bundle, through essentially the entire axial length of the respective casing chamber until it can flow over through the respective overflow orifice 15 into the adjacent casing chamber.

[0031] For constructing configurations according to FIGS. 1 and 2, standard partitions 14 may be used, which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, may have, at both axial ends, overflow orifices, one of which is closed in each case to produce a configuration according to FIG. 2.

[0032] Different head pieces with or without partitions 27, 37 may also be kept ready, so that configurations according to FIGS. 1 and 2 can be produced, as required, from such elements in a modular manner.

[0033]FIGS. 3 and 4 show configurations similar to those according to FIGS. 1 and 2, to be precise, a multiple tube bundle heat exchanger with tube bundles flow-connected in parallel (FIG. 3) or with tube bundles flow-connected in series (FIG. 4). Identical or corresponding parts are, again, given the same reference symbols as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0034] The tube bundles 5A, 5B, 5C (of which there are, again, for example, three in each case) correspond to those according to FIGS. 1 and 2. The head pieces 2, 3 also correspond to those according to FIGS. 1 and 2. The same applies to the casing 1 with the connection pieces 11, 12.

[0035] The configurations according to FIGS. 3 and 4, however, differ from the configurations according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a modification or development of the housing structure. For, in the configurations according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the partitions 14 are configured without overflow orifices, that is to say, are completely closed. Instead, in the configurations according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the head pieces 2, 3 are each supplemented by an intermediate piece 4 that is disposed between the respective head piece and the flange 13 of the casing 1 and that forms prolongations of the partitions 14, or, where overflows are provided between adjacent casing spaces, have an overflow orifice 41.

[0036] As a result, the casing part 1 of the housing, together with the partitions 14, can be configured as a standard part, while different intermediate pieces 4 can be kept ready, as required, as parts to be used in a modular manner to produce overflow orifices between the casing spaces.

[0037] In configurations according to FIGS. 3 and 4, if the intermediate pieces 4 have sufficient axial length, the connection pieces for the casing space (in the embodiments illustrated, designated by 11 and 12 and disposed on the casing 1) may also be disposed on the intermediate pieces 4. In such a case, it is possible not only to mount one or both connection pieces laterally on the respective intermediate piece 4, but also to configure it axially and lead it through the respective head piece 2, 3.

[0038] The above embodiments were described as counter-current head exchangers by virtue of the arrows indicated in the drawings. It goes without saying that they may also be operated in the same way as co-current heat exchangers, for which purpose only the direction of flow of one of the two media needs to be reversed.

[0039] The concept according to the invention makes it possible to construct any desired heat exchangers using standard components. In particular, the tube bundles may be configured as standard components, from which any desired multiple tube bundle heat exchanger configurations of different size can be constructed, regardless of the intended operation as co-current or counter-current heat exchangers. For heat exchangers of different sizes, different housing structural parts, to be precise casings and head pieces, may be kept ready, these respectively being configured to receive a specific number of tube bundles, or variable block configurations of such housing structural parts may be provided. By using appropriate head pieces, to be precise, one for the tube bundles operating in parallel and one for the tube bundles connected in series, heat exchanger configurations can be constructed as required from relatively few basic components in a modular manner and, therefore, highly economically. 

I claim:
 1. A multiple tube bundle heat exchanger, comprising: axially opposite tube plates; a plurality of tube bundles disposed between said tube plates, each of said tube bundles including an independent tube bundle subassembly forming an integral unit having at least one heat exchanger tube with two axial tube ends, said subassembly made from said at least one heat exchanger tube and respective tube plates fastened to said two axial tube ends; a housing having: a casing part defining a interior and having two axial housing ends with flanges; removable head pieces to be fastened to said flanges said head pieces respectively disposed at said two axial housing ends; and partitions subdividing said interior into a number of chambers, said number of said chambers corresponding to a number of said plurality of tube bundles, each of said chambers receiving one of said tube bundles; said tube plates and said head pieces respectively forming seals; and said tube plates delimiting at least one of distributor chambers, collecting chambers, and transfer chambers formed in said head pieces.
 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein said chambers are casing spaces.
 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein said partitions have, at both of said axial housing ends, selectively closeable overflow orifices for overflow of medium flowing through said chambers between adjacent ones of said chambers.
 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , including separate intermediate pieces disposed between said casing part and adjacent ones of said head pieces for prolonging use of said casing part.
 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein said intermediate pieces form an axial prolongation of said partitions.
 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein said intermediate pieces have selective overflow orifices between adjacent ones of said chambers.
 7. The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein: each of said chambers has an inlet and an outlet; at least one of said inlet and said outlet is disposed at a respective one of said intermediate pieces; and said at least one of said inlet and said outlet is at least one of: disposed laterally on said respective one of said intermediate pieces; and disposed axially on a respective one of said intermediate pieces and led through a respective one of said head pieces. 